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By: Buz Kloot The prairie does not demand attention. It whispers, it hums, it endures. But to those who know it well, who grew up watching the grasses sway in the wind like a great breathing organism, the prairie teaches everything worth knowing about balance, resilience, and belonging. Kate Rasmussen is one of those people. Raised in the Badlands of south-central South Dakota, Kate was shaped by the very landscapes she now works to protect. Her early days on the family cattle ranch were spent moving cattle, working horses, and learning the subtle language of grasses and wildlife. It was a way of life, but it was also an education—one that led her to a role at the World Wildlife Fund’s Sustainable Ranching Initiative , where she now works with ranchers across western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming to improve grazing practices  and restore native grasslands . “My roots are here,” she says, “and so is my purpose.” Why Grasslands Matter—And Why They’re Disappearing The grasslands of North America—once stretching from Alberta to Mexico in a near-continuous sea of life—are now vanishing at a pace that alarms even the most seasoned conservationists. According to WWF’s 2021 Plowprint Report, 32 million acres of grassland have been lost since 2012 . In that year alone, 1.6 million acres were destroyed —a number greater than the size of Delaware. And yet, these grasslands remain essential. They store carbon, filter water, support pollinators, and provide habitat for countless species. “They’re not just grass,” Kate says. “They’re an ecosystem—quiet, but crucial.” Restoration Through Relationship: A Different Kind of Conservation What sets Kate apart is her deep belief in collaborative conservation . “This isn’t about enforcing a set of rules,” she says. “It’s about listening—truly listening—to the people on the land and finding shared goals.” Kate’s work is grounded in partnerships—with ranchers, scientists, nonprofits, and agencies. Her role is part ecologist, part connector. She helps producers reseed degraded pastures with native grasses, rethink their grazing rotations, and implement regenerative practices  that not only protect the environment but also support long-term ranch viability. “It’s not either-or,” she emphasizes. “We can produce food and fiber and support biodiversity. The two can work together.” Her conviction is born of experience. Having worked on ranches throughout the West, Kate understands firsthand the economic pressures, the family dynamics, the unpredictability of weather. She knows what it means to make a living off the land—and how fragile that livelihood can become without healthy soil, reliable rainfall, and functioning ecosystems. The Heart of Regenerative Ranching Like the ranchers she supports, Kate believes in the core principles of regenerative agriculture : keeping living roots in the soil, maintaining ground cover, promoting plant diversity, minimizing disturbance, and integrating livestock. But she also champions a sixth principle— context —recognizing that every landscape is unique, every operation different. “There’s no one-size-fits-all model,” she explains. “The key is adapting the principles to your own land and learning to read what it needs.” This kind of responsiveness—this trust in nature’s wisdom—is what makes Kate’s work both humble and powerful. She’s not prescribing solutions from a distance; she’s walking the fence lines, feeling the soil, reading the grasses. Carrying the Message Beyond the Fence Line While much of Kate’s work happens in conversations with ranchers and partners, she also sees the value in reaching a broader audience. “People in urban areas don’t always know how much of their well-being is tied to these landscapes,” she says. “We need to tell that story better.” That story, as Kate tells it, is one of interconnectedness —between the prairie and the pollinator, the rancher and the rangeland, the soil and the supper table. “You can quote statistics all day,” she says, “but what sticks with people is the feeling they get when they experience the prairie. When they feel the wind, hear the birds, see the grasses move. That’s what makes them care.” And Kate is right. Conservation is not only about numbers. It’s about stories. And hers is one that speaks to both urgency and hope. Looking Ahead: A Future Rooted in Collaboration Kate Rasmussen is part of a growing movement of young conservationists and land stewards who understand that saving the grasslands  won’t come from top-down mandates, but from bottom-up partnerships . It’s not just about preserving what’s left—it’s about restoring what’s been lost and reimagining how we relate to the land. “I’m hopeful,” she says. “Because I see the energy out there. I see ranchers who care deeply, who want to do right by the land, who are willing to adapt. And when you combine that with strong partnerships and good science, you get real, lasting change.” In a world that often favors speed and spectacle, Kate’s approach—like the grasslands themselves—is quiet, steady, and enduring. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most powerful transformations begin not with declarations, but with listening. Not with conquest, but with care. ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

By: Buz Kloot In the heart of South Dakota, where the wide-open spaces of the Great Plains meet the horizon, Johnathon Neuharth is not just a young rancher—he’s a dedicated steward of grassland restoration. At 16, Johnathon is leading the charge for regenerative agriculture on Prairie Paradise Farms, a ranch his family has managed for generations. His commitment to sustainable ranching practices like rotational grazing  and grassland restoration  is transforming the land, breathing new life into the prairies that once thrived across this vast landscape. The Importance of Grassland Conservation Grasslands are among the most threatened ecosystems on Earth, yet they play a critical role in supporting biodiversity and sustaining life. "Did you know that grasslands are one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet?" Johnathon asks. His words are a call to action, not just for the land he’s inherited, but for the future of regenerative agriculture across the Great Plains. Johnathon’s journey is a response to the growing concern over grassland loss. As the agricultural industry shifts toward more intensive farming practices, the prairies that once sustained wildlife and cattle alike are vanishing. According to recent studies, more than 50% of grasslands have been lost in the past century, primarily due to land conversion for farming. But Johnathon and his family are determined to change that narrative through grassland restoration. Regenerative Agriculture: A Solution for Grassland Restoration For Johnathon, the answer lies in regenerative farming  practices, particularly rotational grazing . This method involves moving livestock in a way that mimics natural grazing patterns, allowing the land time to recover and the grasses to regrow. "We rotate our cattle across different fields to ensure the land has time to rest and regenerate," Johnathon explains. "It helps the grass grow stronger and supports wildlife habitats, creating a more resilient ecosystem." Rotational grazing is a cornerstone of Johnathon’s regenerative agriculture practices. This system not only improves soil health but also helps to prevent erosion and promotes biodiversity. It’s a way of working with the land rather than against it, ensuring that future generations can enjoy the same lush, productive grasslands that Johnathon's family has stewarded for decades. A Legacy of Sustainability As the third generation to work on Prairie Paradise Farms, Johnathon carries a deep sense of responsibility for the land he tends. He knows that if current farming practices continue, future generations will not inherit the same vibrant prairies that have sustained his family for over 40 years. "We need to think about the future," Johnathon says. "If we don’t take care of the grasslands, they won’t take care of the wildlife. And if the wildlife goes, we’re all affected." This philosophy has shaped the Neuharth family’s approach to ranching. By integrating livestock into the landscape in a sustainable way, Johnathon and his family are reversing the damage done by decades of overgrazing, deforestation, and crop conversion. They’re committed to grassland restoration , not just for the health of the land, but for the wildlife that rely on these ecosystems. The Challenges of Grassland Conservation Despite the Neuharths’ success, the road ahead is not without challenges. Market pressures, government policies, and a lack of public awareness continue to threaten grassland ecosystems. "People are often driven by short-term profits, like high crop prices," Johnathon explains. "But the real value of the land isn’t in what we can extract from it today—it’s in what we leave for tomorrow." Johnathon recognizes that raising awareness about the importance of grassland conservation  is critical. "We need more people to understand that restoring grasslands isn’t just about saving the environment—it’s about securing our future. If we don’t restore these lands, we risk losing everything that depends on them." The Future of Grassland Restoration Looking ahead, Johnathon is optimistic. He believes that if enough people adopt regenerative practices like rotational grazing and support policies that prioritize grassland conservation, we can still save the prairies. "I think we can turn things around," he says. "We just need to act before it’s too late. Grasslands are resilient, but we have to give them a chance to heal." Johnathon's efforts are a reminder that the future of sustainable agriculture  rests in the hands of the next generation. With a commitment to regenerative practices and a deep respect for the land, Johnathon Neuharth is demonstrating how to restore and protect one of the world’s most precious ecosystems—one field at a time. ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

On this week’s “Resilience Rodeo”, rancher Robert Boylan of Butte County, SD talks about the importance of water distribution in rotational grazing and working with nature even when she gives you drought. “I wanted to wear a hat, so I had to buy cows”, jokes Robert Boylan, a rancher and wildlife supporter in Northwest SD. Robert is the first to acknowledge that ranching is a constant learning experience. “I’m no expert. I’m not perfect. I’m not even, I may lose everything yet, but I’m doing what I can the best I can.” Through these constant learning experiences, Robert has developed a drought philosophy that sometimes requires cutting his number of cows but has led to a more successful, sustainable, and natural grassland operation. Robert Boylan   1)    What one thing have you done that has been most important to the success of your operation?   Probably the most important thing that I've done to economically survive ranching in this country... I'm going to say water distribution. Selling hay machinery was right in there, and calving later to work with nature more, I guess would probably do it. But [like] this year, it's hard to do anything if you don't get rainfall. I got a grass ranch and there's just not much rain.   2)    Can you recall a moment or time when the light bulb went on for you to change the way you were grazing?   I believe it was 2012 maybe, that I realized the importance of rest and rotate, because we just didn't get to use some pastures because there wasn't no water. I realized how early we could go back into them the following year when we did get water. It just dawned on me, that was what nature needed. Grass needs to go through a full cycle every so often to seed and do just what it was made to do. Buffalo didn't camp on these pastures all year round. Look at deer, they pass through here and then leave it.   3)    What surprised you most when you changed the way you're grazing?   What surprised me most was the workload and the profitability of it all, actually. It took a year or two. It's hard to get into the situation. You got to have numerous pastures, [but] bar none it's the best thing you can do for grasslands. I know that you can get by; I still got neighbors that go in the same time every year and they get by, but they've never increased their numbers. I don't think that soil's that healthy, I guess. It's expensive to do the first few years probably, but it really pays dividends in the long run. The workloads are way easier. The care of the fences and the health of the livestock... It's all good.   4)    What would you say is the biggest misconception people have who are not managing their grazing systems for resiliency and soil health?   Well, I ain't judging anybody to how they do anything. I don't know the economics of everybody's place, but I do know that I've still got 13 years of land payments. I've purchased everything, never been out of debt. And I know that it's making my payments, and they're fairly good size payments, by doing what we're doing. Boy, I think if they'd try it on part of their place, they would never go back to anything else. And if they ever calved later, I don't think they'd ever go back to anything else either. Some ranches are made for hayin’; this one isn't. But, yeah, everybody's situation is different. I don't judge anybody.   5)    Is there something you'd still like to do that you haven't yet to improve your soil health or grazing system?   Yes. I would like to try to improve stuff by introducing some yellow flowered alfalfa, some different forages on this thing so it my might come at different times a year. I never want to take away from the native grass. But if I could find something that I could interseed with it that's feasible to do and increase grazing capacity, I would sure do it. To me, it's all about the grass. These cows are going to come and go no matter what you do. Your best cow will raise the best calf. One year, she'll be gone. And if you take care of your grass and your ranch, that's what you got to do to stay in this business, I think.   6)    When you walk across your grasslands, what do you look for as an indicator of healthy grassland and healthy soil?   As I'm walking across the grasslands looking at stuff, I look for grasses that have got to run their full cycle and go to seed. I look for thatch or mulch that's left over. That breaks down into nutrients for everything, stops erosion. Crop covers are a big problem on this ranch with all the drainages. I'm always looking for invasive weeds or something, especially if it's out away from where it should be. But I love the land. I really do. I get up every day, happy.   7)    What change have you made that you first thought would never work?   One of the things I wasn't sure was going to work probably was cross fencing. I didn't feel there was a necessity for it to begin with. Because we run pretty good numbers, so we try to keep them in kind of mobs to rotate and rest. So, we split some pastures, and they’re not small. We're talking down to maybe 1,200 acres or 2,500 acres, but I wasn't sure that would return much by doing that when we got started rotating and grazing. It has. In my situation, that's as small as I want to go. Other people might have smaller places and smaller paddocks would work. But for this ranch, that was one of my concerns, I guess. I wasn't sure it was going to work very well.   8)    What are the signs that your land is resilient, and what does resiliency mean to you?   Resiliency to me is... I guess, producing at least as much beef production as it did the year before. Nature in itself is resilient. You look at stuff that's happened years ago and I think, "God, it [grew] back and it's healing up." And I guess I don't know... It does most of it on its own if you give it a chance. That's probably the biggest thing.   9)    Out of the three R's, what do you relate to the most? What do you think helps the most? Rotate, rest, or recover?   They all go hand in hand, but I'm going to say the resting part, probably. You can rotate too soon and not do any good at all, I would say. I know every time you open a gate for livestock, if it's rested a month, they're going to go on to gain weight. But there, you're only looking at the economics of it again. Long-term, you want your grass to be better, so you need to let that grass, at least half of it, run its natural course. And if I can afford to do it, I'm going to let big pastures rest for a complete year. If you rotate too quickly, I don't think you gain anything really. You're making money per se, but you ain't helping the grass. ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

Recent storms added some precipitation to southwest South Dakota, but the current drought map still shows wide areas of the state in moderate to severe drought. While spring isn’t quite here yet, farmers and ranchers prepare to deal with drier soils. ​ Bart Carmichael knows of drought challenges during his three decades as a cow-calf rancher near Faith, SD. Taking care of grass and soil in his pastures is top priority to optimize current and future grazing and ranch resiliency. “In the 2017 drought, we rotated the cattle quicker between pastures because the grass wasn't growing. After 10 months, we pulled the cattle totally off pasture and put them in the feedlot for four months. That actually turned out to be a good thing.” Write a drought plan His goal is to graze the herd for 12 months a year. “The longest we've ever had cattle rotating between pastures is 11 months. When the weather dictates we can't graze, we'll put them on hay, move them off pasture or do whatever it takes for the time being. But when the drought breaks, we go back right to grazing the same pasture where we left off,” Carmichael says. An important part of his drought plan is herd management by key dates when the rains stay away. “Even just running mother cows on pasture, we have ranked them by A, B, and C herds. When drought forces a stocking rate reduction, the C herd is sold right away. That way you can keep your core. If drought severity continues, then the B group goes next,” he says. This scenario played out in the 2017 drought. “We sold the C and B herds, keeping our core A herd, which we put in a feedlot for four months. When the weather finally changed, we still had grass left that responded to spring moisture, so we were good to go. Our plan to adapt and do what you have to do, is better than holding on to the bitter end,” Carmichael adds. He figures he has enough grass this year until October. Carmichael is one of the growing number of ranchers who subscribes to the “Rotate, rest, and recover” grassland management rule of thumb. Sound economics drive the plan Carmichael has witnessed area ranchers try to graze through a drought. “We heard about someone who one time tried to run an entire herd on pasture through two years of drought. The first year it didn't rain, he grazed all of his old grass off. During the following spring without rain, he sold all of his cows for $1,300 a pair. We had already sold only our C herd at that point, and because of our drought plan we didn't have to pull the plug on all of them. When it finally rained, he ended up buying heifer calves back for $1,300 a head that fall. So economically, it's pays not to hold on to the bitter end, and risk losing everything,” he adds.

My buddy, Mike Hall, as cowboy as a southern gentleman can be (and I mean   gentle man), sent me a wonderful Christmas card by Jack Sorenson, an artist whose work I wasn't familiar with. I looked Sorensenn up online (linked here) and found his delightful story—he's still making art today!   For my cowboy friends out West River, you're probably thinking, "Kloot, what rock have you been living under these past few years? Haven't you learned anything?" I know; I'm a city boy who fell in love with agriculture at 50. I rose to the role of messenger boy for soil health and regenerative agriculture, a role which, by the way, I cherish.   What struck me about the card Mike sent was how poignant it was, and it reminded me of the reading we had from the Gospel of Luke over Christmas. The passage didn't emphasize kings or wise men, but humble shepherds—those on society's lowest, most despised rung. To these shepherds was revealed the message of the incarnation: hope, freedom, and justice.   The Santa in the picture, kneeling by a fire with his patient horse in the background and his bag of toys nearby, reminded me of those shepherds. There are no flashy red suits, reindeer, or hordes of adoring elves serving hot cocoa while Santa stays warm under a large comforter. No, this is a solitary man, enjoying a cup of coffee (or cocoa?) he made himself. He's on one knee, about to break camp, with children on his mind. I don't see a Santa keeping a "naughty or nice" list here. He's bringing gifts to all children.   This image brought me to thoughts on soil, crops, and rangeland health. I think Mother Nature doesn't keep a naughty or nice list. She teaches her lessons, some of which are hard, but she gives the gifts of sunlight (carbon), water, nitrogen, sulfur, and all the minerals waiting to be released from the soil. Sometimes, we refuse her gifts, but she patiently waits for us to see what she has to offer.   My friend Dan Rasmussen, who talks about changing ranch culture, shows a graph that moves from continuous grazing on the left to high-frequency rotational grazing on the right. This continuum is a line graph with no "naughty or nice" categories and no underlying judgment. People are  where they are.   One of the things I've learned about the soil health community (think SD Soil Health Coalition, SD Grassland Coalition, Ducks Unlimited, NRCS, Every Acre Counts, SD Cattlemen, and the list goes on) is that it's made up of people who will meet you where you are. Their motivation stems from a passion for agriculture and a love for people—a willingness to help families and communities thrive and to accept Mother Nature's gifts.   Which brings me back to Luke's Gospel and the Cowboy. Our internet age has had its blessings and curses, but one blessing is that we've democratized the idea of soil health and regenerative agriculture. It's no longer a secret kept by a few—it's available to all, even those of us who see ourselves as lowly shepherds at the lower ends of society.   So, as we reflect on this Christmas and look forward to the new year, I encourage you to keep Jack Sorenson's image in mind as a reminder: the community has passionate people who will meet you where you are (indeed, who have been where you are), no judgment required, no “naughty” labels. And if you allow them, they can show you how to participate in Mother Nature's gifts of abundance.  Here's wishing you a wonderful New Year! _____________________________________________ _______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3.Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

Matt Huber By Cassidy Spencer   Matt Hubers began as a district conservationist for NRCS and is now one of two agronomists who work with Ducks Unlimited, where he is currently focused on implementing the tenets of soil health on cropland that were originally wetland habitats for waterfowl. His work, studies, and farming practice have led him to an informed, widespread understanding of the South Dakota salinity crisis. He says we need to address it now, before the losses are felt across South Dakota’s entire agricultural landscape.    Matt Hubers and his wife have lived on a farm for over twenty years but only purchased it fifteen years ago. For years, out his window, he observed the way locals managed the land, similar to many at the time with mixed enterprises– calving out the livestock and leaving them out on the whole plot of land until the fall when they had to begin fieldwork.   “So I was watching outside my window for years at this pasture– how it had some extremely heavily used areas, how the landscape was being dominated by smooth brome and Kentucky bluegrass, and this was at one-time native pasture. And how the species composition had changed from what it naturally should be, how productivity was going down, so then when our landlord sold it to us, I said well, there has to be a better and easier way to try to do this,” explained Hubers. “And that's when I got my own cattle, started cross-fencing, putting in water developments, putting some fire on the land. It makes me a better conservationist because I can relate much better to what these farmers have to go through as well. And I can see pretty clearly the little things, the practices and dispositions, that are leading our soils down a scary path.”   The Nature of Saline Seeps   Hubers explained that South Dakota, in recent history, essentially received the perfect storm for saline imbalances.    First, throughout the 90’s, much of South Dakota went through a wet cycle: a stretch of above-average precipitation that raised the water tables. South Dakota’s watershed is already rich in salts, seeing as the region was under an ocean thousands of years ago, leading to salt-rich Pierre Shale parent material.   Secondly, farming practices have changed. When Hubers first arrived in the region, about 35 years ago, he observed a diverse cropping mix with small grains, corn, and perennial grass, and hardly any soybeans.   “What has happened is that our cropping system now is essentially a conventional corn-bean rotation. So that means we have a fair amount of tillage, we have relatively short growing seasons where those crops are using water. And then whenever you talk about salts and salinity– salinity goes where the water goes, right ? If my crops are only using the water for four months out of the year, soil moisture for the rest of the year will not be brought up and used by plants from deeper in the soil profile. Our soil moisture will be closer to the surface and any precipitation we get will pool and evaporate, and that’s where our problem begins.”   As water collects and evaporates, capillary action brings water up from deeper in the soil. With that deep water comes dissolved salts. Water again evaporates off the surface, leaving salts behind, leading that piece of land into a cycle of growing salinity. When land starts to spiral into a saline seep, it usually begins in the most poorly drained areas on a field and farmers will notice a white coating across that top of the soil. Plants will begin to react: “It will start with poor germination, and they’ll start to exhibit the same characteristics as if they're going through drought because the available water is so full of salts that the plant can't use it. So when you have a very very salty soil environment, what happens? Well there are a lot of soil microbes that can’t live in it, you have plants that can’t grow in it, can't put down roots in it, so you're losing organic matter in your soil, soil microbes don't have available root exudates or carbon, so it becomes a dead and dying soil.”   A salinity issue is a water issue: water retention, water use, water infiltration.   A four-month corn-bean rotation doesn't use the water as it naturally was used in the land– not only across space but also across time. Minimal employment of water in the soils is not a passive action: it actively harms the land, the soil, and the plants.   “Salinity is, I think, the biggest threat to our agriculture in South Dakota, bigger than anything else because it takes away our ability to have an agricultural industry,” explained Hubers. “People think I'm yelling that the sky is falling– I tell them to go out on the land and you will see what I’m talking about.”   Reversing the Damage   The key to remedying salinity is generating and maintaining effective infiltration. Farmers need to change how they farm saline areas if they want that piece of land to remain viable at all– not addressing a saline area will only cause it to expand. Hubers encourages farmers to incorporate perennial grasses onto saline areas, even to allow weed encroachment on those areas, as long as they are kept covered.   “It comes down to water management, so make sure you have something growing as long as possible for the growing season. And if that means incorporating small grains into your rotation, incorporating cover crops, if it means inter-seeding rye as a cover crop, if it means tossing alfalfa in there because it’s got roots that can reach deep into your soil profile: Mother nature doesn't like bare soils, she always has something growing. We’re going to try to emulate that as much as possible in our cropping system by having diverse cover and reducing our tillage. It comes back to the principles of soil health.”   Tillage disrupts and destroys soil structure, decreasing pore space and soil’s ability to infiltrate water. This exacerbates saline seeps– tillage will only expand saline areas. Hubers advises farmers against farming through saline areas with conventional machinery– they are skirting the edge of much larger destruction than they may imagine.   “So there are solutions, but the solutions are tough to implement because 89% of crop ground in South Dakota is in a corn-bean rotation. And when you're so focused on just those two crops, then it makes it tough to increase your water usage not only on that field but also on the surrounding fields because everybody is doing the same thing,” said Hubers. “If you look up and down the Jim River and across the state, we’re looking at over 11 million acres that are impacted by salinity. And communities depend on that agricultural industry to stay alive. So 11 million acres with decreased or null production, that's going to have an impact.”   Farmer’s First Steps     If farmers begin to notice saline spots on their land, Hubers tells them to get their soil tested right away. First understanding exactly what the problem is– saline, sodic, or both– is imperative to understanding how to move forward.   “If you have a sodic problem then you're going to be really high in sodium which creates a whole batch of issues that with a pure saline issue you don't have. If it's a saline and sodic area, then to remediate that gets a lot harder,” Hubers explained. “So you've got to take soil samples, identify what your problem is. Like everything else, early diagnosis is critical.”   If you're a producer and you're looking to get help– technical, financial help– there's no better time than now. Organizations like Ducks Unlimited, of which Hubers is a part of, along with the NRCS, Pheasants Forever, and Every Acre Counts (to name a few) are offering support, incentive and insight to any farmers looking to shift their farming practices toward regenerative ethics.   “We work in conjunction, we don't work against each other, we’re all working with each other. Ducks Unlimited just received a $25 million Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant to do exactly what we’re talking about. To make sure that we increase the productivity on the land, on crop ground, provide options that the producers can utilize, and fix their problems. And we help them do that by providing technical assistance and economic assistance.”   With the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, if a farmer takes crop ground and puts it into grass, DU will pay farmers the average Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) round rate on those crop acres that are being put back to grass for a period of three years but it needs to stay in grass for a total of ten years and can be hayed or grazed after it is established.   “So we’re going to help you with that financial burden that you're going to incur. But at the end of the day, you're going to have good productive land that's still going to provide you an economic benefit versus a salt desert that's just going to cost you money, inputs, that you're never going to recover. Find someone that you want to work with, and they will help you. They will walk with you along that way. And it doesn't have to be on your whole farm. Let's identify those areas that are actually costing you money and are going to be worse if you don’t address them now. But you've got to be willing to identify the problem and realize that it's a problem. The way we farm now with our larger, bigger equipment– it's so easy to keep on going because we hate farming around stuff– it's a real pain, it messes up our rows, decreases our efficiency. But if you aren't willing to give up that 2/10ths of an acre, a 10th of an acre, whatever it may be, then pretty soon you're going to be farming around a much bigger area.”   Asks interviewer Joe Dickie– what if I’m somebody in Sioux Falls, and I'm not a farmer, I'm still listening to this podcast, and I hear that my tax dollars are going to farmers. What does that have to do with me?   Says Hubers: “We are so fortunate in South Dakota to be an agricultural state. We have less than a million people. We enjoy the opportunities that the agricultural landscape provides us– recreationally, aesthetically, environmentally. So what's in it for me– if I want to live in South Dakota, I'm going to be supporting agriculture and have a viable agricultural production system that's going to keep farmers on the land, that keeps ranchers on the land, because that's going to keep me in South Dakota and provide opportunities for not only me but the kids. We’ve got to make sure that as a society we have policies that allow our ag system to be strong, to be sustainable, to be regenerative, because what hurts the farmer eventually hurts all of us.” CLICK HERE to access the podcast where Buz Kloot and Joe Dickie discuss salinity with Matt please go to: ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

By Cassidy Spencer   Kent Cooley is a lifelong resident of South Dakota, with a diverse background spanning soil science, environmental management, and agronomy. He obtained his bachelor's degree in Soil Science and Environmental Management, followed by a master's degree in agronomy with a focus on soils, from South Dakota State University.   He started his career with the Soil Conservation Service, mapping soils in the Northeast of South Dakota. He continued mapping soils in various counties and is now the area resource soil scientist in Rapid City. Through his experience and familiarity with South Dakota soils, Cooley has witnessed the unfolding salinity crisis firsthand.   “ We actually tried to figure out how many acres of saline soils were in the state back in the mid-2000s. We calculated about seven and a half million acres of saline soils,” said Cooley. “We've added almost another million more acres of saline soils in the state the last 10 to 15 years, and that's primarily due to management.”     Understanding Salinity   Excessive soil salinity occurs through the accumulation of salts, primarily in the upper layers of the soil profile, including the root zone and up to the surface. In extreme cases, salts may evaporate as they move up the soil profile leaving a visible white crust on the soil surface, which is the final degradation state of saline soils.   Several factors contribute to this issue, the two bedrock conditions being salt-rich parent material and an arid or semi-arid environment. Under these conditions, water will tend to move upwards in the soils due to the arid climate and the lack of deep-rooted vegetation to infiltrate or pull water further down into the soil profile. Due to the history of the land, South Dakotan soil makeup can be more prone to saline issues.   “About a hundred million years to 66 million years ago, this area was underwater. There was a great inland sea that stretched from the Gulf of Mexico all the way up to the Arctic Ocean,” explained Cooley. “It divided North America into two landmasses. Well of course, that water was salty, it was an ocean. And when that inland sea retreated, those salts were left behind in the sediments. That’s the source of most of our salts: most of South Dakota was underwater, except for the far eastern part of the state.”     Managing Salinity   Addressing soil salinity requires a multifaceted approach, focusing on prevention, management, and remediation. Cooley emphasizes the importance of diverse crop rotations and the integration of multi-species plant roots to utilize moisture more effectively and keep salts at bay. A stratified root system, mimicking that of native rangelands, draws moisture from various soil depths, reducing the upward movement of salts.   Saline issues can be exacerbated by tillage, which disrupts the soil structure and minimizes pore space, encouraging upward movement of water in the soil through capillary action. No-till practices allow larger, granular “cottage cheese” soil structure to form in the soil, allowing for small, medium, and large pore spaces which subsequently allow gravity to take water deeper into the soil profile. Salt-rich parent material and arid environments, when combined with poor land management techniques, can lead to these saline seeps—excessive upward movement of salt-rich water and the eventual development of a white crust on the soil, alongside severely degraded soils without necessary structure to effectively utilize water.   “When you look at the soil forming processes, natural pore space is built within the soil and those pores connect the deeper parts of the soil profile up to the surface. Now, if we have an area where we don’t have a lot of vegetation or that vegetation is shallow rooted, that allows the soil moisture that’s in that soil profile to move upward through evapotranspiration and capillary rise, which is basically water movement up those pore spaces when we have a dry period,” explained Cooley. “But if we’re using the water through the plants, the transpiration aspect keeps those salts deeper in the soil profile. That’s the biggest thing when we’re looking at salinity on our soils, we want to eliminate the evaporation off the soil surface and lose our water through transpiration, through the plants. That helps keep the salts down lower in that soil profile.”   Another effective strategy in the fight against salinity is the adoption of perennial systems. Perennials, with their deep and extensive root systems, offer continuous soil cover and utilize soil moisture throughout the year. This consistent use of water helps to maintain the salts within the deeper layers of the soil, preventing their accumulation at the surface. Perennial systems not only mitigate salinity but also provide other environmental benefits, such as reducing erosion, enhancing biodiversity, and improving carbon sequestration.   “When we harvest crops in our tillage systems or cropping systems, and we have a period of probably two months, up to four months, depending on whether it’s a small grain or a row crop, where we’re not utilizing soil moisture at all—that can actually build water tables that could potentially cause problems down the road,” explained Cooley.       Managing the Recharge Area   A critical aspect of salinity management is focusing on the recharge area, the upslope region that contributes to the water and salt flow towards the affected areas. Effective management of this zone can significantly reduce the volume of water moving downslope, thereby preventing the accumulation of salts in the lower lying areas.   “What actually starts becoming saline is downslope from those areas, either in a saline seep, which is typically on a side slope, or lower parts of the side slope, which actually can move up the slope if you don’t take care of the problem,” said Cooley. “We want to utilize that soil moisture in the uplands before it can ever get down to those lower areas if it’s moving laterally in that soil profile. You utilize it up there, then you’re way better off. And when you look at those saline areas across the state, it doesn’t matter if it’s a seep or if it’s a low-lying area where we’re starting to build salts on the soil surface—those are much smaller areas as compared to the recharge area.”   Cooley again praises the implementation of multi-species root systems being kept in soil year-round to begin to mitigate this issue.    “ Once again, probably the most effective way to manage salt affected areas that I know is to put perennial systems in place in the uplands and the recharge area, while adding more salt tolerant species,” said Cooley. “ When you look at trying to remediate the actual salt area, I've heard a lot of people want to use tile drainage, an interceptor drain to cut off the water with interceptor tile. But then you have the problem of where are you going to route that tiled drainage system, where's that salty water going to go? Is it going to stay on your place? Is it going to affect a neighbor and so forth on downstream? That's not a good scenario.”     Salinity and Sodicity   Salinity issues in soil are not to be confused with sodicity issues. As Cooley explains, the two issues are dealing with entirely different soil chemistry—salinity refer to an excess in calcium and magnesium salts in the soil profile. Sodicity refers to high sodium content in soils, which cause clay particles within the soil profile to disperse, developing a claypan. The claypan—a compact, dense layer of clay formed in the subsoil—is highly restrictive to root development and more difficult to remediate than saline seeps.   “When we're dealing with more of a sodic soil which can have an appearance of being saline, that soil test alone will actually tell us if there is a high sodium content in that soil, especially the upper part of that soil profile,” explained Cooley. “When that occurs, basically we're looking at either a sodium absorption ratio of 15 or greater, or an exchangeable sodium percentage of 13 or greater.”   It is much easier to alleviate a salinity problem than a sodicity problem. Once you have a sodic soil that has formed a claypan, necessary pore space in soil has been restricted and water cannot effectively travel or absorb in the soils.     Staying Aware of Irrigation   Cooley added, it is important to stay aware of the quality of water being utilized for irrigation, as well as the irrigation system and its compatibility with your soil makeup. If irrigation water is high in salts or sodium, there is the potential to imbalance chemical makeup of soils and encourage salinity or sodicity issues down the line. Closer to river systems, soils typically have higher sand and gravel content which helps to keep soil water moving down the soil profile. Further from river systems, farmers need be aware of the quality of water they are implementing through irrigation, as their soils with higher clay content are more prone to skewing toward excessive salinity and sodicity.   “In our irrigation guide, those heavy clay soils have a very low water intake and very low water movement through that soil profile because of the small pore space. And we are not supposed to move from a flood irrigation system to a sprinkler irrigation system on those soils. But we've been playing around with trying to implement appropriate management systems that will still allow us to convert to a sprinkler and avoid some of those salinity or sodicity problems by maintaining pore space and putting extra water in; especially in the last irrigation period during the year, we try to flush salts out or down that soil profile and keep them lower in the soil profile,” said Cooley. “Well, we had one producer that did not take our advice. He continued to grow continuous corn with tillage. And within a period of less than two years, he actually got to the point where he could not raise a corn crop because the soils were becoming so saline based on his management. So that's the situation that we're trying to avoid when we put sprinkler irrigation systems on these clay soils. We need a perennial system, or we need to try to keep salts pushed down by using a no-till system if annually cropped.”   ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

Lee Briese   By Cassidy Spencer   Dr. Lee Briese is an independent crop consultant in East Central North Dakota, working directly with farmers. He conducts field checks, crop checks and recommendations, and generally refers to himself as a ‘plant doctor,’ “both literally and figuratively. I go out and do the checkups on the field and give the farmer a report and if we need to do anything I make prescriptions for that.”    With a master’s degree in soil science, a doctorate in plant health, and 25 years of this work under his belt, he claims that salinity is one of the standout agricultural issues in the region.    “I would say close to 80-90% of my fields have some salinity affected acres in them.”   Saline Causes   Dr. Briese has witnessed change in cropping systems in North Dakota over the last 25 years and has watched as less saline-tolerant crops have been increasingly employed. In his area he used to see wheat, barley and sunflower as primary crops, all three being quite saline-tolerant. The major crops he’s witnessing in his area now are corn and soybeans, and a fair amount of dry bean, which he distinguishes as some of the weakest crops against salinity. The James River Valley is a semi-arid region, so it receives just enough water to fill up the soils, lakes and rivers and build up high water tables– but the region still witnesses high levels of evaporation.   “These salts as we call them are actually nutrients– they’re calcium, magnesium, sulfates, chlorides – those types of things are the salts we’re talking about with salinity. These are plant nutrients that are naturally in our soils. What happens is when rain falls, these salts dissolve in the water, and if the water moves downhill or through the ecosystem to the edges, or from these wet spots, it'll capillary rise from the outside. So basically it's evaporating. So very much like taking a pot of water and boiling it on the stove till it's done- there will be a salt ring at the bottom, it'll precipitate out. This is what's happening- we have a net movement of water upwards.”   Alongside this shift in crop choice, the region is in a wet cycle. When the region experiences excess moisture above trend histories and simultaneously farmers start using some of the more sensitive crops in a tight rotation, the problem is quickly exaggerated.   “It's an issue of if the plant can get any usable water. It's the same reason they tell you not to drink seawater– it draws moisture out of you. Because there's salts dissolved in the water, the plants have a harder time with getting that water into their system. Now, because it tends to happen fairly slowly, there's a little bit of a tolerance that builds up, kind of like alcohol in humans,” says Briese. “So if the plant has managed to germinate and grow and get started, then it can build up some tolerance to this salinity over time, and if we get a wet spring or a moist season, it actually dilutes the salts, makes it a little more palatable, the plant gets going, and then as things dry out, the plant has a little bit of tolerance, maybe it doesn't die immediately, but it's always stressed. And that stress affects their yield drastically," explains Briese.   “So something I’ll see is that some of my farmers will do something, and then they'll have a better year, and they'll assume that what they did made that year better. And that's one of the first things that I find is a myth. One of the myths is that tillage will make this better. And tillage does not make this better. We’ve been doing tillage for over 200 years– we wouldn't have this salinity issue if that was the solution. What happens is they'll do a spring tillage, they'll do a planting, and then they'll get good moisture and good rain, that rain will dilute the salinity and that crop will grow better than it did the year before, and so it looks like what they did made a difference. But it did not.”   In the area there is a trend also of heightened salinity issues along roadways. Briese explains that the roads in the James River Valley were built in a fairly dry period in the region’s existence, with a few water crossings and culverts but insufficient ditches and drain ways.    “So, then we enter the last 20 years or so, we start getting significant amounts of rain, a lot more water, and the insufficient road drainage has been blocking it and storing it. So the water sits, leeches into the soil, and evaporates from the surrounding areas. It doesn't really evaporate from the road surfaces, but from further out into the field, especially when there's mechanical tillage or any type of work going on or less plant growth in those areas, there's a higher level of evaporation in the field. So we have water seeping into the soil from the road ditches, traveling out into the field and evaporating off the surface. And during that time it's bringing all of those soil salts out to the fields.” Lee Briese Lean Acres   Briese is a proponent of employing a long-term management strategy when confronting saline acres. He’s watched many farmers plow right along with their old techniques, hoping for change in those acres– planting the same annual crops, applying the same inputs, driving their planter through affected areas as if all the soil had uniform needs. Ultimately, Briese wants to communicate that if these acres are consistently worsening, new tactics are called for. For the sake of the land and the soil, but for the sake of business, as well.   “Everything's gotta pull its own weight in any business. What's happening in these areas is that the inputs haven't changed. They're still the seed input, the fertilizer input, the equipment passing over that input; but it's very much like having a hired person on your farm that just doesn't show up to work. So these unproductive areas- they're basically getting paid and they're not returning any yield. I ask farmers how long would it take you to fire somebody that never shows up for work? Doesn't take very long, at max what I've heard has been like a week.”   Yes, you obviously can’t simply ‘fire’ land off your property and ship in a new tract. But you can stop paying it for work it isn’t doing and isn't equipped to do.   “So say your sister calls and says your nephew either learns how to work, or he’s going to end up in juvenile hall. So here's this teenager that she’s going to send to your farm. One of the first questions I ask farmers– do we put him in the planter? Gosh no! There's no way he’d get near that really expensive, important piece of equipment! So what jobs are you going to give this nephew? Picking rocks, driving the wheelbarrow, maybe mowing the lawn– this is the thought process. This unproductive acre doesn't have zero value if you give it different jobs that are appropriate. Fire these saline acres from corn production, soybean production, potentially even wheat and sunflowers if they're bad enough, and give them something else to do. Because otherwise they're going to become full of weeds and pests and that's your juvie hall. So give them something to do. That's where the perennials fit in. That's where the cover crops fit in. As alternative jobs.”   Briese points out that yields go up when farmers stop spending money on zero-acre yields. Though it is an investment to plant and care for young perennials and commit to losing out on possible crops, input costs are cut– “Just take your inputs from $250, $350, whatever it is per acre, and you invest 100 dollars in those acres, and you just paid yourself $200 not to do anything.”   When running a planter through cropland, Briese advises his farmers to lift it up over saline areas, stop disturbing them, and stop applying fertilizer.   “If you've been fertilizing these spots for 6,7,8 years, and haven't gotten a crop on it, your fertilizer’s built up, plus the water’s moving more fertility. I have all kinds of soil tests showing 8-10 times more fertility in those areas than the rest of the field. Ridiculously high amounts and almost even toxic amounts in some situations.”   Planting perennials can help farmers to not get their planters stuck in a saline area. It depends on the year, the weather, but good established native perennials can be quite saline tolerant, especially the switchgrass and wheatgrasses– Briese says the trick is getting them established. All plants, when young, are more susceptible to being impacted by salinity.   “The entire region of the upper great plains that's gone into annual cropping is not using as much water as it used to. So even though corn uses a lot of water, it only really grows for 90-120 days, and in those first 30 days we’re talking about very small plants that really aren't doing a whole lot. So we’re really talking about 60-90 days of water usage. If you have an established perennial, you're getting 200-220-250 days of water use. So that’s more than double, and almost triple, what we can do with corn. A perennial system can also respond to times of high water especially in early spring and late fall, which are two points in time when your corn plant is not doing anything– it's not planted in the spring and it's dead in the fall. So healing this imbalance is largely about water utilization.”   Briese says that after 5-10 years of diluting that saline imbalance and managing that water usage, farmers could maybe transition to a perennial-annual system, employing 2-3 years of annuals.    “So if you look at your cropping system as 5 -7 years of perennials and 1-3 years of annuals, then you could probably do the best of both. But you need to make a change before the salinity gets to the point where nothing will grow. Because again establishing that small crop is the challenge. So I really encourage farmers, if they really want to bring this back to annual crop production– to think about it in a 10-year crop cycle.”   Listen to the full interview at https://www.growingresiliencesd.com/podcasts/episode/259b1fbd/63-crop-consultant-shares-how-to-earn-400-more-dollars-an-acre-on-saline-soils ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

By: Buz Kloot This summer (2024), as I began editing video footage from June 2023 (yes, I’m a bit behind), I realized I had my work cut out for me. We conducted interviews with several experts: Scott and Jeff Hamilton (of Hamilton Seed Mix fame), SDSU’s Anthony Bly, NRCS’s Kent Vlieger, Ducks Unlimited’s Bruce Toay and Matt Hubers, and the inimitable Frannie Fritz. The subject was salinity. If you’re driving east River (a very South Dakotan term for those outside the state), you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to see how rising water levels and salinity have impacted farmlands and infrastructure. Large patches of white in croplands during summer or expansive puddles in wet weather are easy to spot. Roads and fences dip into prairie potholes, and it’s not uncommon to see water levels encroaching on old houses and barns. As I sat down to tackle the stories from these experts, I wondered how I would weave them into a coherent narrative. Finding the Story By mid-summer, I discovered a strong story from the interviews with the Hamiltons and Anthony Bly—they seemed to be responding to each other, even though we interviewed them separately. I thought, “Let’s finish this story by the end of August so we can move on to the Kent Vlieger, Cain Creek project, and the new Beadle County project, where we met with Ducks and Frannie Fritz.” Life’s Challenges Well, it’s October 1st as I write this. The Hamilton-Bly story had to be set aside—call it fate, divine providence, or whatever you like. After navigating a family crisis in Africa, dealing with a computer failure and replacement, hosting my daughter and my energetic grandson, and weathering a hurricane, I’m only now starting to tackle the Hamilton-Bly story. I’m not pleased that it has taken me this long, and I’m still not finished, but stepping away has helped me focus on the key points. Hopefully, the resulting video—though delayed—will be more informative and, dare I say, entertaining. Understanding Salinity Over the past year, I’ve begun to understand salinity better through these videos and several podcasts (see list of podcasts below). I’ve also come to appreciate that salinity and its spread are complex. The remedies are intricate as well, but not impossible. Life—filled with family emergencies, visits, and equipment breakdowns—often gets in the way. As a result, addressing those growing saline areas may have to take a back seat, at least for another growing season. The spread of salinity, especially in the Jim River Valley, can be classified as consequential but not urgent. Like my video project, it can be set aside as we navigate life’s unpredictable challenges. Looking Ahead to the Fall: A Time for Reflection and Preparing for Action It seems that Providence has delayed our series on salinity until fall, “when the shadows lengthen and the winter comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of the growing season is over, and our work for the season is done” (with apologies to Cardinal Newman). This fall, if salinity impacts you, I encourage you to take the time to educate yourself on this important issue. I’ll do my best to release the first video before December, and we also have podcasts and written resources available. Your partners in South Dakota—NRCS, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, and Every Acre Counts—are eager to assist you in this journey. To borrow from the tree-planting folks: The best time to address salinity was 20 years ago; the second best time is today. Let’s take action together—strength in unity! Useful Links: Stay tuned to our newsletter for our first feature film on salinity featuring the Hamilton’s Anthony Bly Feature Story by Kurt Lawton: Soil Salinity Management in SD Stockgrowers’s Summer 2024 Magazine Blogs: Conquering Salinity: Matt Hubers' Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture in South Dakota Confronting Soil Salinity: Kent Cooley's Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture Managing Soil Salinity : Dr. Lee Briese's Expert Tips for Sustainable Crop Production Podcasts: 59 Soil Expert on the Origins and Impacts of Saline Soils – a talk with NRVS’s Kent Cooley 61 Agronomist Shares Top Strategies to Transform Saline Soils into Productive Land – a talk with Ducks Unilmited’s Matt Hubers 63 Crop Consultant Shares How to Earn 400 More Dollars an Acre on Saline Soils – a talk with Crop Consultant. Lee Briese ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

By: Buz Kloot I was out in Danielsville Georgia preparing for a grazing field day when my friend, Michael Hall, former NRCS grazing specialist, told me that Stan Boltz passed away. I say this because I cannot imagine how his loss must be felt by his family, friends and community, also his NRCS colleagues as he worked as a Regional Soil Health Specialist. I also say this because the ripple effect of his loss was felt down here in South Carolina and Georgia as well and who knows where else Stan had such an amazing influence. When I was directed by the NRCS to start talking about perennial systems (I had always worked with row crop systems up to that point), the first person I was told to talk to was Stan Boltz. I even remember the date, September 9, 2020. Stan talked to me (keep in mind that I was completely new to prairie habitats) about some of his concerns. His big concern was the loss of prairie habitat – the obvious one was conversion to cropland, especially in eastern South Dakota. This was the first time I heard that nonnative cool season grasses (smooth brome, crested wheatgrass and Kentucky bluegrass) robbed the range of resilience in dry weather, affected aboveground wildlife and was death to soil biology (his words, not mine). This was evident in the visible degradation of soil structure in pastures infested with these plants. Stan was also the first person to introduce the concept of Adaptive Grazing to me. I have since learned a lot about the subject and hopefully this is evident in the body of work (videos, podcasts and written work) at GrowingResilience.com. In that first talk, Stan told me to speak to amazing ranchers like Jim Faulstich, Gene Ausland and Pat Guptill, and it was through Stan and these and other ranchers that I got to fall in love with the prairie. The next time I spoke with Stan was in March 2021 during a podcast interview. We went into more detail on rangeland health. This podcast was aired later that year and the link to the podcast and the associated blog are displayed at the end of this page. Stan and Mitch Faulkner, whom we lost not six months ago, were also deeply involved in developing the SD Drought Tool which in my opinion, is invaluable to the rangeland manager and user friendly enough for even a noob like me to use. When I read through Stan’s obituary, I was struck by the fact that Stan was 4 years younger than I am and that we lost him and Mitch too soon. Yesterday in Church, I was reminded in the sermon of the movie Shadowlands about C.S. Lewis’s life and the untimely loss of his wife who discovered she had cancer even before he married her. Some of Lewis’s confident assertions in his writings that loss makes us stronger and refines us by putting us through “the fiery furnace” came back to him after losing his beloved and suddenly his own words sounded like meaningless platitudes in the face of his own crushing grief. What Lewis was left with was this inexplicable sense that God was somehow not only with him, but actually experiencing his grief with him. This is too deep for me to fully understand as I am only left with questions of why we lose these good people. However, having just ‘celebrated’ my own 65th birthday, I have become aware of my own mortality and realize that I am sure my family and community may experience my passing differently than the community at large. But I would hope that if I were able to have but a fraction of the legacy that Stan and indeed Mitch had on the rangeland and soil health community, I would be content with my fleeting trip on this planet. In South Africa, there is a saying in Zulu that when we part from someone, we say Hamba kahle which means "go well”. Hamba kahle Stan. Your legacy lives on in the people you inspired and the land you cherished. Links: Podcast: “Increasing Rangeland Soil Health with Stan Boltz” Blog: “Increasing Rangeland Soil Health with Stan Boltz” For those of you who may not have know Stan personally, we also leave a link to his obituary: https://www.welterfuneralhome.com/obituary/stanley-boltz ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

By: Buz Kloot Recently, I visited with my sister-in-law in Cape Town, South Africa and she told me that one of her old friends asked if she was related to me (we share a last name). I met the friend and she told me I had been mentioned in an article in the Farmers Weekly, a South African magazine, about farmer/rancher Barry Meijer’s regenerative journey. Barry Meijer took over a farm near De Rust in the Little Karoo, South Africa, he faced a tough situation: the soil was bare, compacted, and couldn’t hold water. With only about 30 inches of rain in a good year—and at lot less during recent droughts—Barry knew he needed to change something to revive his land. Imagine my surprise to learn that a simple YouTube video could spark such a transformation. Barry watched a conversation between me and Ray Archuleta, where we talked about the power of keeping living roots in the soil to boost water infiltration and water retention. That discussion resonated with Barry and led him to dig deeper into regenerative farming practices. He started learning from others like Gabe Brown, Dr. Christine Jones, and Walter Jehne, and began experimenting on his own farm. Barry adopted no-till farming and started planting a diverse mix of cover crops using a special seeder, which helped improve the soil structure and brought life back to his land. Inspired by studies like the Jena Experiment, he realized that having diverse mixes of plants could enhance soil health, productivity, and resilience. Since making these changes, Barry has seen his farm’s productivity jump from 12 tons of dry matter per hectare to an impressive 48 tons per hectare in 2023. What amazes me is how the stories and ideas we share at SoilHealthLabs.com and Growing ResilienceSD.com can ripple out in ways we never expected, even reaching farmers like Barry in the Karoo. It’s a powerful reminder of how connected we all are in this global community of farmers and ranchers, and how sharing knowledge can make a real difference, not just for the land but for people’s lives too. For the original Farmer’s Weekly article, please go to: https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/animals/cattle/regenerative-farming-from-lifeless-dust-to-productive-farm/ ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

By: Buz Kloot Is the art and science of shepherding a lost practice, or can we still learn from it today? In our SoilHealthLabs podcast series, Joe Dickie and I sat down with Dr. Fred Provenza to explore this question in the episode “Tap into the Hidden Wisdom of Livestock to Restore Your Land”. We dive into the skills of shepherds who not only guide their animals but also learn from them, using their knowledge to create a healthy balance between animals and the land. Joe starts by pointing out the difference between a herder and a shepherd. A herder simply directs where animals go, but a shepherd observes and lets the animals choose the plants they need. This method, Fred explains, benefits both the land and the animals. It’s about more than just livestock—it’s about keeping the landscape diverse, which is good for the soil and the plants that the livestock and wildlife depend on. Fred talks about his experiences with French shepherds through his work with Michel Meuret, a French ecologist, animal behaviorist, and nutritionist. These shepherds think about the order in which animals graze, not just what they graze. For example, a shepherd might have the animals eat protein-rich plants first, then move them to graze on tannin-rich oak or birch. This way, the animals use the whole landscape without overgrazing the best spots. Fred explains that shepherds and their flocks learn from each other. “The shepherds are learning from the animals, and then they’re using that learning to work with the animals,” he says. This approach is all about observation and trying things out, much like how farmers and ranchers traditionally learn from the land instead of just from books. It’s a blend of hands-on experience and practical know-how. We also touch on the bigger picture—how modern practices have disconnected us from our food sources. Fred shares how he was invited to speak at the 2024 Old Salt Festival in Montana, a state full of cattle, yet much of the beef consumed there is imported. This disconnect, Fred argues, weakens our community ties and our connection to the land. As we wrap up, Fred highlights the importance of rebuilding these connections. The lessons from shepherds—who learn directly from their animals and the land—can guide us in improving our food systems. This episode encourages us to think about where our food comes from and to value practical knowledge in keeping our ecosystems healthy. Stay tuned for more with Fred in the upcoming episode! Dr. Fred Provenza is professor emeritus of Behavioral Ecology at the Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University. Fred is also the author of three books, including Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us about Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom; Foraging Behavior: Managing to Survive in a World of Change; and The Art & Science of Shepherding: Tapping the Wisdom of French Herders - a book he co-authored with ecologist, animal behaviorist, and nutritionist Michel Meuret. In the case that Dr. Provenza may have escaped your attention, we recommend the link below which is a really informative talk given by Dr. Provenza at Utah State University: The Web of Life Event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjUgX91VZpk ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com